







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | |
| Is it really on the menu? | |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | |
| Calm down dear, I don't think he realises what he says. | |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | |
| Is that what you want me to do? | |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
| But for how many people? | |